1) Settle on a tuning and get comfortable there BEFORE you go wandering all over the place.

2) Mute often – just get in the habit of doing it – don't make me come over there.

3) Think Minimally – choose your notes wisely and you don't have to have a thousand of them. I'm specifically talking here about the sub-bass strings, but this is a good principle for music in general, at least to my way of thinking.